Before the lights, the crowd, and the grind of the mat, Cora Combs sang country music. Not in the glitzy, overproduced way of Nashville stardom—but the dust-on-your-boots, radio-at-sunset kind. That was her first stage. But it wouldn’t be her last.
By the end of her life, Combs had lived through the golden age of women’s wrestling, outlasted nearly every name on the marquee, and become one of the most influential figures in the history of the squared circle. Her story—like the business she helped build—was never gentle. But it was real.
From Kentucky Roots to Wrestling’s Big Leagues
Born Beulah Mae Combs on March 17, 1927, in Hazard, Kentucky, she was raised in the coal dust and steel of Appalachia. If you wanted out, you sang, fought, or prayed. She tried all three.
In 1949, everything changed. Cora caught a wrestling card headlined by Mildred Burke, the top woman in the sport at the time—a woman who didn’t just win matches but broke perceptions. Inspired, Combs was introduced by promoter Nick Gulas to the infamous Billy Wolfe, the man behind Burke and the architect of women’s wrestling in mid-century America.
Wolfe trained her, and by 1945, Cora Combs was doing what few women in America could claim: traveling city to city, stepping through the ropes, and giving the boys a show they didn’t expect from “the fairer sex.”
A Grit-and-Grind Career Across Decades
Cora Combs wasn’t flashy. She didn’t rely on gimmicks or mic skills. She was a worker—tougher than most of the men, and smart enough to survive an era of locker rooms that didn’t exactly welcome women with open arms.
She spent most of her prime years wrestling throughout the South and Midwest, with a home base in Indianapolis, often working with or against other Wolfe-trained women. She was a five-time NWA United States Women’s Champion and held the NWA Southern Women’s Championship twice in Florida. That wasn’t just hardware—it was proof that she was one of the top draws in women’s wrestling for decades.
And she kept going. Combs wrestled well into her 50s, at a time when most wrestlers—male or female—were long gone from the spotlight. Her last match came in 1985, capping off a 40-year career that spanned eras, promotions, and generations.
Mother. Masked Villain. Mentor.
Cora’s story is rare, not just for her longevity, but for her legacy. Her daughter, Deborah Ann Szostecki, better known as Debbie Combs, followed her into the ring—and sometimes, across it.
In a twist that only wrestling could produce, Cora once faced her own daughter under a mask, billed as the mysterious “Lady Satan.” The mother-daughter feud drew attention and ticket sales, but more than that, it proved just how deep the Combs lineage ran in wrestling’s bloodlines.
And off-camera, Cora passed along more than just moves. She mentored women in the business, teaching them how to survive in a world designed to overlook them. She was the last surviving member of the Billy Wolfe troupe, an era defined by toughness and showmanship in equal measure.
A Hall of Fame Ending
In her later years, Combs’ contributions were finally recognized by the institutions that once kept women like her in the margins. In 2007, she was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2018, WWE added her to its Hall of Fame as part of the Legacy wing—acknowledging the pioneers who paved the way long before #DivasRevolution trended on Twitter.
Combs passed away in Nashville on June 21, 2015, at the age of 88. She had battled pneumonia in the days prior. But by then, her place in wrestling’s long, winding story was already secured.
The Last Survivor
Cora Combs lived through every evolution of women’s wrestling—from the tent shows to the territory days, from smoky arenas to cable pay-per-view. She wasn’t the loudest. She wasn’t the most decorated. But she was always there.
In a business known for reinvention and disappearance, Combs never vanished. She endured. She adapted. And when the lights finally dimmed, she was still standing—proud, tough, and utterly undeniable.
Honors & Championships
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NWA United States Women’s Champion (5 times)
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NWA Southern Women’s Champion (2 times)
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Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
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WWE Hall of Fame – Legacy Inductee (Class of 2018)
She came in singing, left fighting, and in between, Cora Combs built a blueprint for what women in wrestling could be: resilient, relentless, and ready for whatever the ring demanded.